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Free condoms in public schools? Not in California — at least, not yet

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have provided students with free condoms at public schools — an attempt to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and drive down the rate of teen pregnancies.The bill, which was written by Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-Panorama City), would have also blocked retailers from refusing the sale of condoms to teen customers. Though Newsom agreed that increasing access to condoms was “important to supporting improved adolescent sexual health,” he rejected the bill due to the cost — an explanation that seems to have become boilerplate language for dozens of the governor’s vetoes in recent days.“With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure,” said Newsom in his veto statement.The state was forced to deal with a $30 billion budget shortfall this year. Newsom said th...

Hey, Bay Area: Here’s where to watch the partial “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse on Saturday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

If you’re far enough north, the skies will darken ominously on early Saturday morning as the moon slides across the face of the sun and creates a rare and hauntingly beautiful “ring of fire” eclipse.But even in the Bay Area, we may detect a subtle dimming, evidence of the clockwork of the universe as the sun and moon appear to cross paths.Related ArticlesScience | Saturday’s solar eclipse in the Bay Area: What it will look like Science | ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse will slice across Americas on Saturday with millions along path Science | What to look for and where to buy solar shades for safe eclipse viewing Science | A ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse is coming soon. Here’s what you should know Science | Tomorrow’s full harvest moon is the last supermoon of the year “The sun will look like a crescent. We’ll see a giant bite taken out of the sun’s surface,” said astronomer Andrew Fraknoi, lectur...

Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week: Sydney Kring, Campolindo water polo

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Campolindo water polo player Sydney Kring is the Bay Area News Group’s girls high school athlete of the week for Oct. 2-7 after he received 34.27% of the vote.Valley Christian field hockey player Cameron Klee (27.14%) took second.Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.Kring, a sophomore goalkeeper, had 51 saves, 12 steals and 8 assists last week, adding to her season total of 167 saves. She helped Campolindo place second at the Arroyo Grande classic with victories over Acalanes, Righetti, Saint Francis, Sacred Heart and Carondelet.To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email [email protected] by Monday, Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results.We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration.Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.Related ArticlesHigh ...

Could dominant 49ers be peaking too soon? They’re not buying it.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers are off to the second-best five-game start in franchise history.After a 42-10 destruction of the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers head into Cleveland Sunday with a point differential of plus-99, with 167 points scored against 68 given up.That’s better than the plus-83 (147 to 64) in a 5-0 start in 2019 that saw the 49ers finish 13-3, win the NFC Championship and then lose in Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs.Or plus-33 (127 to 94) when starting 5-0 in 1990, a season that ended in a 15-13 loss to the New York Giants and erased a dream of three consecutive championships.Or plus-40 (132 to 92) in 1984, which ended gloriously with a 38-16 blowout of the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium.But it’s not as good as going 5-0 to start the season with a 116-point differential in 1952 (170 to 54) and an average margin of victory of 23.2 points per game.For what it’s worth, that 49ers team with four future Hall of Famers in runni...

San Jose hotel deal involving SJSU advances as city preps key approval

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

SAN JOSE — A deal for the sale of one of the towers of a downtown San Jose hotel that involves a local university is poised to make progress now that city officials are preparing a key approval step for the transaction.The transaction involves the southern tower of the double-highrise Signia by Hilton San Jose at 170 South Market Street, according to documents prepared for an upcoming San Jose City Council meeting.Signia by Hilton San Jose, an 805-room hotel at 170 South Market Street in downtown San Jose. The 541-room northern tower is visible to the left. The 264-room southern tower annex is visible in the center and shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate. (Google Maps)The 805-room hotel consists of a northern tower of 541 rooms and a southern tower annex of 264 rooms. The South Tower has been put up for sale and is slated to become student housing, the city documents show.The potential transaction could lead to the south tower being bought by a real estat...

Opinion: Badly bungled BART extension to San Jose could still be fixed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has badly bungled its planned BART extension project through San Jose. As a result, costs have soared.As noted by the Bay Area News Group last weekend, the price of the project has gone from $4.7 billion in 2014 to $5.6 billion in early 2020, $6.9 billion in late 2020, $9.3 billion in 2022 and now to the just-announced $12.2 billion.Will this cost for the six-mile, four-station, mostly underground extension rise further? If the San Jose political establishment insists on sticking to the VTA’s fatally flawed design, probably.The current design for the underground stations of the BART extension to San Jose. (VTA/BART)Like the rest of the BART system, the original design for the San Jose extension consisted of two 20-foot diameter subways leading to each of the three underground stations. Costs have risen in part because VTA eventually replaced the original two-bore tunnel design with a single gigantic and hugely expensive 53-foot-di...

Walters: Is Newsom resurrecting his single-payer health care pledge?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

To those on the left side of the political balance beam, no issue is more important — or more elusive — than having medical care provided directly by a governmental system.Dubbed “single-payer,” it would eliminate insurers and other aspects of private enterprise from medical care and provide everyone the same services, regardless of income or other characteristics.Not surprisingly, those who want it were elated when, in 2018, California’s leading Democratic candidate for governor virtually promised to deliver it.“I’m tired of politicians saying they support single-payer but that it’s too soon, too expensive or someone else’s problem,” Gavin Newsom said.Newsom’s pledge won him support from single-payer advocates such as the California Nurses Association. It decorated a bus with Newsom’s face and the words, “Nurses Trust Newsom. He shares our values and fights for our patients,” and toured the state.Once elected, however, Newsom sidled away from his pledge, saying his goal...

Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week: Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung, Los Gatos football

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Los Gatos football player Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung is the Bay Area News Group’s boys high school athlete of the week for Oct. 2-7 after he received 35.95% of the vote.San Ramon Valley football player Marco Jones (35.04%) took second.Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.Kopcsak-Yeung, a senior, carried 17 times for 161 yards and four touchdowns to help lead the host Wildcats to a 37-7 victory over Sacred Heart Prep in Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division play. Kopcsak-Yeung also caught two passes for 13 yards.To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email [email protected] by Monday, Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results.We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration.Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.Related ArticlesHigh School Sports | ...

Union workers reach a tentative deal with Kaiser Permanente after the largest-ever US health care strike

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

By Chris Isidore and Samantha Delouya | CNNKaiser Permanente reached a tentative deal with the unions representing 75,000 employees, following the largest-ever health care strike in US history.“The frontline healthcare workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente,” the union coalition said on X. “We are thankful for the instrumental support of Acting US Labor Secretary Julie Su.”The strike last week lasted only three days, the length of time it had been scheduled to run. But the coalition of unions was threatening an eight-day strike next month with even more workers walking out if a new deal was not reached by October 31.Details of the deal were not immediately available. The union had been seeking better pay and improved staffing levels at Kaiser hospitals and other facilities.The union coalition represents 40% of Kaiser Permanente’s non-physician workforce and includes a wide range of medical workers...

California reaches $200m settlement with Kaiser in mental health care overhaul

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

(BCN) -- Kaiser Permanente must overhaul behavioral health care services and pay a $50 million fine under a settlement agreement announced Thursday by the California Department of Managed Health Care.Under the settlement, Kaiser will also make investments totaling $150 million over five years toward improving behavioral health care services.Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the settlement on Thursday, saying it will give Kaiser enrollees full and timely access to services they are entitled to under state law."Today's actions represent a tectonic shift in terms of our accountability on the delivery of behavioral health services," Newsom said. "Accountability of the private sector is foundational to ensuring our entire system of behavioral health care works for all Californians," said Governor Newsom.The $50 million fine is the highest the state's managed health care agency has ever levied, said DMHC Director Mary Watanabe.The agreement stems from two actions by the state agency -- an enforce...